Everybody's Gotta Die Sometime
by Boltzmann
Summary: Staff Sergeant Jaune Arc had it all. He was US Special Forces, had a banging Marine girlfriend, and was on track towards being a recognized war hero. Well, until he died. Waking up in a world vastly different than his own, he must take initiative to survive and find his way back home. However, his biggest challenge won't be deadly foes, but friendly faces.
1. Chapter 1 - Hoodoo?

"I'm telling you, I don't have a damn clue how I got here. Or where 'here' even is, come to think of it." The man sighed. He wore an oddly camouflaged set of clothes and brown boots. On the upper left breast was a tag with the words "U.S. Army" laid out. On his right was another tag, this one with the name "Arc." His short blond hair was open for display, as his helmet was strewn off to the side near a pile consisting of a vest, a bag, and a black rifle of some sort.

Across from him sat an oddly young looking elderly man and a very intimidating blonde woman. He could see the two-way mirror, but not through it, though he was certain there would be more spectators inside the room. "Please, as if we'd believe that." The blonde snarked, "Sir, I recommend we send him over to the proper authorities-"

"Now now, Glynda. There's no need for that. I'm sure this young man will be more willing to answer questions if he wasn't locked up with criminals." 'Glynda' scoffed, but reluctantly gave in. Her boss simply smiled at him and pushed forward a cup of - he sniffed - coffee, which he was very keen on grabbing and chugging down. But he wouldn't give them that satisfaction. These could be terrorists, for all he knew. Or worse, Russian spies.

"I'd feel more willing to answer my questions if you got me in contact with my CO." He pushed, his eyes set firm as he initiated a staring contest with the elderly man. Said man simply sighed and took a sip of his drink. "I'm afraid that isn't possible, since you've given us no clue as to even which military you're a part of." Arc balked, his blue eyes wide in disbelief. Did this man not see the big ass words on his uniform?

He grunted, scowling deeply. This man must be playing with him, he rationalized. "You're fuckin' joking," Glynda seemed surprised by his easy use of curse words, which made his attitude become immensely more smug. "This is downright loony. Everyone knows about the God damn US of A and their military. We kinda police the world, y'know." Arc rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. Glynda glared in his direction while the man simply sipped from his stupid cup.

"Do you know who I am, Mr. Arc?" The blond raised an eyebrow, but shook his head negative. "My name is Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, one of the four Huntsman schools on Remnant." The soldier felt his heart skip a beat, but pushed down his inner panic. This was just some sick joke to break him. He steeled his resolve and scowled deeper. "I don't know anything about this 'US of A' or 'US Army' nor do I know of any military policing the world other than Atlas. So either you're lying, or you're delusional."

Course, scarred hands slammed down on the table as fierce blue eyes looked threateningly into cool brown ones. Glynda tensed up, clearly prepared to defend her boss, but Arc remained still in that furious position. "I am not delusional, old man. I know for a God damn fact you're lying. Who do you work for? ISIS? Syria? Maybe Russia?" He growled out the last bit, his anger peaking as he thought more. "Cheap tactics seem to be their forte, and you excel in them just as well as they."

"Watch yourself, Mr. Arc, or I'll be forced to use force to tame that nasty anger of yours." Threatened the woman. Blue eyes snapped over to her green orbs, the two initiating a glaring contest. Ozpin merely laid down his cup and crossed his fingers, his sigh drawing the attention of them both.

"If you're truly a soldier, then you would have aura, yes?" Arc raised an eyebrow, his face morphing in confusion. He looked at Glynda and saw her staring expectedly, so he just looked back at the older man.

"... I don't understand."

"Aura. The projection of your soul-" Arc barked out a laugh, leaning back in his chair.

"Ha! That's what this shit is? Seriously? Oh yeah, let me tell you all about my aura. It's fueled by the powers of the zodiac and projects itself as a fucking dragon!" His voice was thick with sarcasm, and he idly noticed Glynda reaching down for something. "Listen bub," His voice lost the sarcasm, this time replaced with frustration. "I don't mingle in this mystical hoodoo shit. I'm a realist. I live in the real world with real things. Not some spiritual mumbo jumbo that doesn't even fucking exist."

"Mr. Arc, Aura is very real-"

"Bullshit!" He cut him off once again. "Stop shitting with me old man, I ain't playing these games. I don't know if this is some crazy cult or if I got captured by Scientologists," He raised his fist as a clear threat. "All I know is I'm _very_ tempted to kick your ass right no-" It was he who got cut off this time, but not by words. His body glowed purple very briefly before he was flung into the wall behind him, knocking the breath out of him. He heard Ozpin shout 'Glynda!' through his coughing fit. Sliding down on his knees, he held onto his chest as he continued to cough.

Four hands helped him to his feet. Through the slight tear build-up, he saw the guilty face of Glynda and the concerned look from Ozpin. He shrugged them off, leaning back against the wall with heavy breathing. "W-What the _fuck_ was that?!"

Glynda sighed, moving some hair behind her ear as she looked away. "That was my Semblance. I apologize for attacking you with it, I… Let my emotions get the better of me." His breathing remained heavy and erratic, his blue eyes darting over the room in shock.

"That-That was… What the hell is a Semblance? What kind of-of shit let's you fling a 100 kilogram man across a room?!" Ozpin held up his hands and walked up towards the panicking man, gently laying a hand on his shoulder while gingerly leading him back to a chair.

"A Semblance, Mr. Arc, is the truest projection of our souls. It is a direct representation of our inner selves. Ms. Goodwitch, for example, has the semblance of telekinesis, signifying her taste for control and order." The blond took deep, quick breaths. Two in, two out, over and over until his breathing was under control.

"Telekinesis? I thought that shit only existed in Sci-Fi films, or comic books…" He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "So… All that stuff about Aura, then. It's true?" The two nodded affirmative, causing him to droop.

"We don't have that where I come from. We imagined stories with those powers, labelled them fiction. People tried to use telekinesis, but it was always proven to be a hoax. But that… Could that have been a hoax?"

"Would you like me to do it again?" He quickly shook his head, tightening his grip on the chair's underside. She merely cracked a small, almost unnoticeable, smile. Instead of flinging him across the room she lifted the mug of coffee towards him, urging him to grab it. He did. "As you can tell, it isn't fake. I can lift multiple objects at once or one very large object. It does get tiring, however, and I require my crop as a medium to sharpen my ability." The soldier looked towards Ozpin, a frown on his face.

"I'm… You mentioned something called 'Remnant' earlier. Is that the country? Is it isolated? Or is it like Atlantis?"

"I'm afraid I don't know what Atlantis is, but Remnant is no country. It's the name of the planet." He replied calmly, once again sipping from his cup. This time Arc copied him, savoring the lukewarm bitter taste. He pulled the mug away from his lips and stared into it, his eyes gauging his reflection in the brown water.

"I'm not on Earth. I'm not anywhere near Earth. I-I…" He took a deep, shuddering breath, and released it in a hysterical chuckle. "I died. I really did die. I-I remember it." He rubbed his face after setting the cup down. "Why don't they teach you how to cope with your death in Basic?" He joked to no one but himself, as no one could possibly understand anything he was going through.

Ozpin stood up, grabbing his cane as he did so, and nodded towards Glynda. "I have other matters to attend to. Glynda will keep you company in the meantime while I find a place where I can safely keep you. Do not be under any illusions, Mr. Arc, we will still consider you a danger to the safety of the students until we are sure of your intentions and background." He turned to leave, but his hand hovered over the knob when he reached the door. He turned around and looked the man right in the eyes. "Are you related to Jaune Arc, by any chance?" The blond looked immensely confused, his voice replying slowly.

"I _am_ Jaune Arc."

* * *

 **Welcome to _Everybody's Gotta Die Sometime_ , a story in which - gasp - Jaune Arc has an alternate universe duplicate. Not the most original premise, but I wanted to test it out, especially since I'm going off to Basic in July for the Army. This is more of a teaser than anything else, just to gauge reactions. I don't have a beta, so this is all me. If there are any issues - be they RWBY or Military wise, grammatical errors, or just bad ideas/bad interpretations of characters, then feel free to point them out.**

 **I also don't have an update schedule. Yeah, I'm a busy guy, so I don't usually get to write whenever I want to. But I get a couple hours a day Mon-Fri, so I use those to the best of my ability. Just don't expect updates to be regular. They'll either be spread out or close to each other.**

 **Chapters won't be this short either; like I said, it's just a teaser. I'll try to get them from 3k-5k on average. Keep it simple.**

 **One last thing, then I'll shut up. No, SSG Arc will _not_ be able to stand a chance to these guys. I see stories where an Earth soldier can take on hunters-in-training, and I automatically think it's outright wrong. Sure, soldiers are badass and very deadly in combat situations, but they lack the sheer power the RWBY-verse has. Their experience is what could make them win, not their own CQC abilities. So yes, he'll be underpowered, but not weak by any means. He's SpecOps, he'll have a strategy or two for emergencies.**

 **Anyways, hope you enjoyed. Leave a comment on what you think of the story. Flames and criticism are encourage; I thrive off of negativity. Helps me get better an' shiz. I bid you adieu.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Duplicate

_4 Years Ago_

I was running. Mud splashed as my boots hit the soaked ground, coating the bottom of my pants in the brown grime. My hands cradled a rifle - a standard M16A1 - and were too busy holding on for dear life to fix my falling helmet. My vest bounced around, causing me to stagger as the weight continued to slam into my back and shoulders.

I had never seen battle before. No movie could accurately display such brutality. I was terrified, so much so that I wet my pants. Basic prepared you for it, and training always kicked in… Until you encountered something you weren't trained for.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw it. The most menacing hunk of metal I've ever had the displeasure of laying eyes on. It was a dark gray, the color nearly black in the storm, with mud coating its tracks and splashing on its underbelly. The rain bounced off the armor, but the shine it gave the beast made it appear more devilish than ever. Its barrel swerved towards a group of men, who I assumed were the French if their cries were any indication, and incinerated them with such deadly accuracy that my legs gave out.

I forced myself back up and ran like hell into a nearby building. I cowered in the back, my back pressed against the wall so hard it hurt. I tried catching my breath, but my silent sobs didn't help.

God, I was a wimp. I trained for a year for this war, the war to end all wars, and here I was, using those millions of dollars used to train me real damn well. My father would be disgusted in me. I clenched my eyes shut, trying to calm down my crying, but found myself crying harder as I thought of my father.

There was a loud crash the next moment, and the next thing I know was staring up at the dark gray sky in a pile of rubble. I couldn't feel my, well, anything, besides maybe my own brain. It felt like it was putty, but I forced myself to move against all pain. I fell right back down as soon as I brought my arm up. I looked around, still in a daze, and groaned when I saw my left leg. Off of my body. Next to it was a nice chunk of my side. I reached for it and grabbed the leg, holding it up in front of my face in confusion. When could my leg pop off, I thought?

I idly heard the tank driving away, its tracks slowly growing distant as I stared at my leg. Then I blacked out, knowing nothing more of the battle or the squad I left behind.

I woke up, hours later, in a bright white room with doctors and a single officer sitting down across the bed I laid in. He noticed me and opened his mouth, readying himself to tell me some horrendous news… "Are you listening to me?" I cocked my head, furrowing my eyebrows in confusion. Why did he sound feminine?

* * *

"Mr. Arc!" Said man jolted up from his position, a slight line of drool dribbling down his chin. The professor rolled her eyes, sighing in irritation. They still sat in the interrogation room, just as they had three hours ago. She was in the middle of telling him about the history of Beacon when he had fallen asleep.

She had half a mind to fling him into the adjacent wall once more. " _Please,_ " She ground out, "Focus. I don't particularly find teaching a sleeping _boy_ to be worth my time." He grunted, wiping the slobber away with the sleeve of his shirt, and shrugged.

"Maybe you should become more interesting. 'Sides, history was never really my thing. I'm more of a science kinda guy." His crooked smirk sent a wave of frustration through her spine and she stood up, a scowl in place.

"Very well. Perhaps you'd like to see the school yourself, see if you find that interesting." His eyes lit up and he went to stand, but she held out a hand. "On one condition."

"Yeah? I'm all ears." Her eye twitched at his sarcastic grin. This man wasn't going to listen to a thing she said, was he?

"Keep away from the students. Stay five feet from me at _all_ times. No further away, and definitely no closer. You will listen to everything I say and you will never go against my word. Understood?"

He sat there for a moment, his face blank. Then, he spoke up. "That's three things. I'll go with the five foot rule." His grin came back in full force, as did her irritation. He seemed to notice and, his survival instincts kicking in, he cleared his throat. "My math must be getting rusty, that's clearly one condition. Please, do go on."

She sighed, palming her face. She could feel another headache forming… "Follow me then, Mr. Arc."

"You can just call me Jaune, you know." He remarked after they exited the room, both feeling rather pleased with the change, though only one expressed it. "It's not like we don't know each other by now, Glynda, I mean, you did pin me to a wall." She'd never hated someone so much until now.

" _Mr. Arc_ , please follow me. I'll lead you to the docks, so you can get a proper tour that any student would." He raised a golden eyebrow, though the scar made it appear as two.

"Any student? Uh, I ain't gonna be a student here. I did 15 years in school. Kinder to Sophomore year in college." She rolled her eyes and adjusted her glasses, her arms clutching the notes she'd jotted down about him to her chest.

"I didn't mean to imply you were going to be a student here, Mr. Arc. I simply meant to state you'll have a similar experience. Luckily for you," And unluckily for her, "You won't get flung off a cliff like the students did." He stopped in his tracks, his mouth slightly ajar. She turned around and looked at him quizzically.

"What?" She asked, slightly flustered.

"You… You fling kids off of cliffs?" His voice sounded incredulous, as though that were some cruel crime. She shifted her weight to her left leg and nodded, her appearance completely professional.

"Yes. Though I do see how that would harm any normal child, ours have had five years of previous combat training, as well as having aura. Worry not, Mr. Arc, the children are completely safe." He slowly nodded, his lips set firm. He was clearly displeased with their test and, inside, she could empathize with that. She felt fear every time they put her students in danger.

He walked up next to her and looked around, his eyes taking in the sights. He mumbled under his breath before looking at her, a curious expression on his face. "Why do you fling them off a cliff? To test their aura strength?"

"No, aura strength matters little. We test their ability against Grimm."

He looked confused once more and Glynda sighed, her fingers pinching the bridge of her nose. "The Grimm, otherwise known as Creatures of Grimm, are humanity's worst, and longest, enemy. Mindless and soulless, their only purpose is to kill people. Not for food, not for sport… It's just their instinct. They do it just to do it. And they're exceptional at it."

He breathed out through his mouth, his face slightly in disbelief. "Grimm, like with two m's?" She nodded, and he scoffed. "Great, that's cool. Died, went to Remnant, and it turns out to be a weird mixture of fairy tales and the Wizard of Oz." The professor looked rightfully confused this time, her eyebrows pressed together. He threw his arms up and started walking. "Whatever, just show me around this damn place."

Her confusion was once again replaced with anger. She had never hated someone so damn much…

* * *

"So, this is the docks? Where's the water?" He looked around. All he could see was a waterfall in the distance, but there was no water at the shore. Just… Air. "Do they climb a ladder or something?"

"No, this is the docks for the Bullheads. Not boats." Bullheads? He chuckled quietly to himself as he imagined literal heads of bulls flying people up here. "Flying machines." She elaborated, and he resisted the urge to make a sarcastic remark.

"We have flying machines. Though they're called planes, jets, helicopters, and rocket ships. Each with different names to signify the class, purpose, and type of machine it is. Sometimes it's named after its looks, or its appearance, or just given its typical name. The F-22, for example, is widely just called the F-22, though some people call it the Raptor, etcetera." She nodded, humming quietly to herself.

He shrugged and looked around, himself humming quietly as he idly observed students walking around. "You said you allow seventeen year olds in your school?"

"Yes, though on rare occasions we do allow younger. Recently we allowed a fifteen year old girl in, her name is Ruby Rose." His head peeked up and his head snapped towards the professor. She leaned back slightly in surprise and discomfort.

"Ruby Rose?" His voice was barely a whisper. "No way… I-I lost her a few years back. She was the first woman to get into special forces. She was my squad leader. How is she here?" He put his hands on her shoulders. She squirmed, though not because of the touch, but because of his eyes staring down into hers.

She struggled to form her answer, eventually forcing herself away from him and gaining distance. "Five feet, Mr. Arc." She chastised. He ignored it and continued looking at her, his eyes pleading. She eventually sighed, shaking her head. "I doubt your leader was the Miss Rose I'm speaking of-"

"Gray eyes? Dark brown hair? Always wore this damn red cape, even after it got blown to hell where she made it a scarf?" He listed off attributes associated with the woman, firing them off in such succession that Glynda had to cut him off.

"Silver," She corrected, "But the rest…" She nodded, frowning. "She's fifteen, I doubt she's the one you know. And her cape is still in perfect shape. Though the act of simply adapting to its change does fit her. She got in through direct invitation by Ozpin." His eyes lost the hopeful shine, replaced once again with the sarcastic - if slightly empty - blue eyes.

He nodded. "I see. I wasn't expecting her to be here, anyways." Liar, he told himself. If he died and came here, then wouldn't every he had lost come here too? Apparently not, he thought with a mental sigh. "Carry on with the tour. I wanna see the big ass tower." He grinned, shrugging off his prior disappointment. Glynda checked her watch, a thoughtful frown appearing on her face.

She sighed a sigh of the damned. "I have a… Well, not better, it's actually probably worse, but I have a different idea. I want you to meet someone. Multiple someone's, really." He could tell she didn't want to do this, but he wouldn't argue. He was fine with talking to more people than just her and the Headmaster. The professor turned and headed towards the dorms, if the appearance was any indication, urging him to follow.

They got up to the fourth floor, where the rooms were numbered in the 100's, oddly enough. "This is the first years dorm." As though she were reading his mind, she spoke up. "They're on the fourth floor to symbolize their distance from graduation. Ground level indicates Hunterdom, where the fourth years are at." He nodded, not really understanding but accepting it nonetheless. She walked down the long hallway, his feet a near perfect 60 inches behind hers. He noticed some doors open, others closed. One room in particular he saw four men - three in odd armor - playing around on some console. He ignored it, deciding to check that out later, and focused his attention to the door Glynda stopped at.

She took a deep breath and raised her hand, hesitating only briefly before knocking on the white door. The sound of people moving around the room reached his ears and he repressed a chuckle. Ah kids, always scurrying to hide their secrets from the outside world. He remembered when he was like that-

"Ah, Miss Goodwitch?" A voice cut off his thoughts. A very familiar voice, at that. Jaune looked towards the source and met a pair of eyes that were exactly the same as his. For a mere moment he thought he was looking in a mirror, until he looked at the rest of the kid. Standing at barely a few inches shorter than him… Was him.

"Jaune?" A feminine voice behind him said. Neither Jaune's responded, too absorbed into staring at one another. "Who's there-? Oh, hello Miss Goodwitch. Who is this?" A girl with very, very red hair questioned, and the taller Jaune had to resist looking into her very obvious cleavage.

He could almost feel his face become more pale from the appearance of the last two. His heart had nearly stopped, and he was certain his legs would give out any minute. "P-Pyrrha…?" He muttered, then took a good long look at the last two. "Ren, Nora…" He shook his head, stumbling back as he put a hand on his head. He shook it, groaning quietly. "Fuck, it's… You guys… You're so goddamn _young…_ Like-Like in Basic!" He stammered, his entire system was basically 'FUBAR'. This day was so full of emotional joyrides that he didn't know what to do, and clearly neither did the younger Jaune.

"Is the at your older brother, Jaune? And how does he know us?" Pyrrha asked, looking at the younger Jaune in confusion. Said Jaune shook his head, his face equally as pale.

"N-No." He squeaked. _Squeaked._ That snapped something inside the older Arc, causing his entire frame to straighten and his eyebrows furrow into an intense scowl. This Jaune Arc does _not_ squeak. Neither should this one!

"No, I'm not his older brother." Everyone except the three blondes looked confused. He pointed at himself, then at the other him. "We're the same person." There was silence. Then Nora started laughing, her high pitched giggles carrying themselves down the corridor. He remained perfectly serious, however, causing her chortles to die down.

"Y-You're serious?" She asked, her turquoise eyes sparkling with confusion. He huffed, looking over at Glynda.

"You wanted me to meet these kids?" He said 'kids' as though it were venom. "These are not the people I know. The Pyrrha, Ren, Nora and Jaune I know are the toughest sons of bitches around. Three of 'em might not be with me, but they're still leagues better than these pussies." The blonde woman looked surprised - hurt, even, if a little offended - but he paid it no heed. He sent his glare back to this universe's him, causing him to flinch. "And Jaune mother fucking Arc does _not_ squeak like a mouse. He does not cower. He faces threats head on with no hesitation, because hesitation gets someone killed. Gets your leg blown off and gets your best friend squashed by a tank tread-" He cut himself off, his posture tense and straight. He turned towards Glynda once more, his eyes blazing.

"You shouldn't have brought me here." He blew out of his nose harshly and stomped off, ignoring the quiet mutter behind him.

* * *

"Well then…" Ren muttered, his pink eyes trained on the back of the retreating man.

His partner spoke up, her voice loud but not cheery. "What was his problem? Why did he start going off on our leader?" She asked no one, but Ren tried to find an answer anyway. Finding none, he glanced at their team leader and the lone professor, who was still watching him even after he disappeared.

"Professor?" Pyrrha spoke up, her voice calm but clearly upset. "Who was that man?" They heard Goodwitch sigh deeply, mumbling something about mistakes and stupid men. She simply looked at the team and frowned.

"Pretend everything that just happened didn't. I need to find our guest and speak to the Headmaster. That's an order." Then she left, leaving a very confused Team JNPR and a very shocked Jaune Arc. The lotus themed man stared at the blond long and hard before heading back into the room, deciding to give him some space.

His teammates had other ideas however. Nora grabbed Ren's collar and pulled him out of the room. "We need to find that guy before Prof does! We gotta get the answers out ourselves!" Pyrrha nodded, which made him take a second to ponder. Since when did Pyrrha agree to such… Well, as much as he loved Nora, she had looney plans. So why would Pyrrha agree to it? He looked towards Jaune and raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to answer.

He didn't, which only made Nora and Pyrrha more serious about finding this supposed new 'Jaune'. He sighed, giving in to their demands, and nodded his head. "I suppose getting answers would be a good thing. Let's just be safe about this. If we can't find him in ten minutes, assume Professor Goodwitch found him and come back. If we do find him before then, only ask a few questions, then get out of there before we can get spotted by her." He spoke up. Pyrrha looked surprised, causing him to raise an eyebrow. Sure, he didn't talk much, but that didn't mean he couldn't. He just didn't do a lot of talking because that was Nora's department.

"Deal!" Nora giggled happily, clinging to his arm. The redhead Amazonian nodded with a smile, but quickly went back to checking in with Jaune. He sighed once more, shaking his head.

This was a bad idea, his gut told him. But, like always, he was forced to ignore his gut as he was dragged along by Nora. The next sigh marked the third, and he felt it wouldn't be the last anytime soon. Not while this new 'Jaune' was still around.

"We'll split into two groups," Pyrrha stated. Since the real Jaune was too shocked to even speak, Pyrrha seemed to take the leadership role herself. Good, he thought, he didn't want to be involved more than he had to. Sure, it was for a good cause, but he had only known Jaune for less than a couple weeks. He had no real reason to see if this other Jaune was real or fake other than Nora's kindness.

Not that he didn't want to help his only male friend, he truly did. But he didn't see this as something too major. Cardin constantly belittled his leader and he did nothing about it, despite the trouble it brings him and his friends. So what difference does this make? Especially against an adult who seems to have some serious history with Jaune, so it seems. He heard Nora and Pyrrha talking and tuned back into the conversation, having accidentally went off into his own thoughts. He idly blamed Nora. "Alright, so it'll be Jaune and I with you and Ren. That sound good?" They talked for at least two and a half minutes deciding who partners would be, when they were already assigned? He shrugged. Whatever floated their boats.

"We have seven minutes. Don't engage if you get there before the ten minutes but only have a scant few seconds left, alright?" They nodded and he sighed. Fourth one in the past five minutes. Why couldn't he just live in peace?

Jaune looked up at that moment, his eyes still far off but slightly more focused. "I'm going to find him on my own. Ten minutes or not, I need to talk to him. Alone." That stopped the remaining three members of JNPR, who all looked at him with varying degrees of shock. Ren cocked an eyebrow but didn't pipe up, as Pyrrha and Nora were vocal enough for five people.

"What?! But fearless leader! We had this all planned out already!"

"But Jaune, it could be dangerous! We don't know what this guy is capable of!"

"And what about our questions?! I want to ask him how he got that awesome scar on his neck!"

"We can't face him one on one, he clearly hasn't the slightest of good intentions-"

"Enough!" Jaune commanded/shouted. His eyes were fully focused now, though they weren't as stern as his voice suggested. Ren wasn't a betting guy, but he'd wager the blond was even more scared to go up to that guy than Pyrrha was for him. "I'm the team leader. And since this is basically a mission, what I say goes. So just… Go back to the dorms. I need to confront him, alone." His voice cracked near the end, proving Ren's thoughts. The pink eyed hunter-in-training stared into blue for but a moment before nodding.

"Let's go." He spoke up. Their female teammates looked at him in shock and betrayal.

"But he could be dangerous!" Pyrrha protested, her green eyes shining with concern. "We don't know what he could do to Jaune!" Ren saw Jaune scowl and jumped in before any more damage could be done to the situation.

"Pyrrha, Jaune can make his own decisions. Besides, I highly doubt Miss Goodwitch would bring a dangerous man to a room of first years if she thought, even slightly, that he would hurt us. He's probably just mad, not murderous." He was the voice of reason, as always. He expected a championship fighter to get the idea of facing one's challenges alone, but apparently not. Her motherly concern for her partner was, while admirable, hindering to his growth, and it would do no good to keep him back from this obstacle. "Just let him go." His voice took a soft tone as he watched her battle between the choices.

Eventually, she sighed in defeat and slumped over, her eyes closing. "Fine." She stood straight and looked at Jaune, a frown on her face but firm belief in her eyes and voice. "Just stay safe. If he looks like he's ready to hurt you, just get out of there, okay? Nobody gets those scars without being through some fights." Their leader nodded as he turned. He hesitated for a split second before running off, his body disappearing as it turned a corner.

Nora made a sound of disappointment and sulked back towards the dorms and Ren made to follow, but stopped as he caught Pyrrha staring off where Jaune used to be. He sighed, marking a fifth, and walked over, putting a hand on her shoulder in a display of comfort. "He'll be okay. We don't even know if this guy wants to hurt him."

She nodded, biting her lip. "I know. I'm just scared the imposter will say something that will hurt him even more." She stayed in that position, even after Ren removed his hand and walked away.

He sighed once more, making it the sixth consecutive sigh in the past ten minutes. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

He stopped near a fountain, his breath heavy and ragged. He shook his head and ran his fingers through his short cropped hair, his eyes shut tight. A quiet growl tore through his lips, but he forcefully pushed his anger down. "Fuck me." He muttered, taking a seat on the fountain ledge.

He glanced out over the courtyard's expanse, his expression slowly going from fury to tired. He sighed and threw a pebble into the waters behind him. There was scant few people spread out over the grass, most groups hiding from the scorching summer sun by sitting under trees and other sources of shade.

None of them he recognized, which let him to revel in relief. "Been the damn craziest day of my life… And what, it's barely five?" He chuckled. "I'd be having dinner back home with my buds. Not whatever this is."

"Where's your home at?" A voice said to the side. He started, jumping up and sending a punch towards the source. It connected, causing the person to fall back with an 'oof'. He quickly put his foot on their chest, reaching behind him for a rifle that just wasn't there. He looked down at the boy in shock, his shock turning into frustration when he saw who it was. He removed his foot and stepped back, his scowl back in place.

"Oh, it's you." The younger Jaune looked up at him with surprise though he looked relatively unharmed. Probably that aura stuff, the Staff Sergeant reckoned. He sighed and shook his head, grumbling quietly under his breath. "You alright kid?"

Said kid nodded and stood up, dusting off his trousers with a nervous chuckle that sent waves of anger through the grown man's spine. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It just surprised me, that's all." He nodded, idly rubbing his knuckles with a grimace. It felt like hitting a damn sandbag without wraps on.

"What are you doing out here? I didn't expect you to follow me." Asked the soldier, getting a small shrug in response.

"What did you expect me to do? Sit in a quiet room while some guy claiming to be me walked around the school?" They stared at each other. Anyone watching would automatically assume they were related, but definitely not the same person. Where the younger Arc had long, scraggly hair, the taller one had a clean shave on either side of his head with barely an inch of hair on top, which was swept to the side. He had rugged scars coating his visible skin compared to the knight's childish face.

It looked more like an older brother chastising his younger sibling than the same person. "I expected you to sulk. To be the wimp you are."

The knight sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with a grimace. "I'm not such a wimp where I wouldn't want answers, you know. I just want to know who you are."

He scoffed. "I'm Jaune Arthur Arc. Staff Sergeant of the United States Army. Second oldest child. Not much to who I am. What about you, boy?" Said boy gulped, his eyes glancing away as he answered. The veteran's hands clenched into fists as he did.

"Jaune Arthur Arc, huntsman-in-training, and second oldest child of Arthur Arc and Marilyn Arc." More experienced blue eyes narrowed, a small hum coming from his throat. "But I'm more than that," He started. His innocent blue eyes zeroed in on his own, showing the first ounce of courage he's seen in the kid. "I'm a team leader, a friend, a dancer, a musician, and I will be a hero of the people. I may not be the bravest guy, but I'm not a boy."

"Ha," He chuckled. "Alright kid, if you aren't a boy, then what do I call you besides that?"

"Jaune." The stared into each other's eyes for a very long moment before the older one nodded, his lips turned up into a small smirk.

"Alright, Jaune. Since you're taking the first name, call me Arthur. It'll be easier to discern us this way." Jaune sighed a breath of relief, nodding with a smile. Arthur lost his smirk, his mouth set in a firm frown. "But this doesn't mean I like you. You're still an idiotic kid who'll get his friends killed." Jaune's eyes widened and he shook his head rapidly.

"I would never let them get hurt-"

"It ain't in your ability to prevent that. You won't grow up until it happens." Arthur scoffed, unconsciously rubbing his left leg. "You won't get the cruel truth of the world until it slaps you down and fucks you over." He took a deep breath, crossing his arms. Jaune scowled deeply at him, clearly angered by his words.

Good, Arthur thought, let him be angry. Anger is better than idealistic nonsense. "You don't know that."

"Oh! I don't, huh? Please, indulge me, what does the mighty and all powerful Jaune know?" He snarked, his lips pulled back in a snarl.

"I know that you're just a bitter man who can't stand that someone has what he was stupid enough to lose!" Arthur scowled deeply and took a step towards Jaune, his words coming out fiercely.

"Say that again, I dare you."

Jaune simply stared up into angry blue eyes, his eyes wavering in fear for but a moment before they regained their confidence. "You're just mad that I still have my friends." Arthur yelled and pushed the boy back, his eyes glaring daggers into scared blue eyes.

"You piece of shit, I will rip your goddamn throat ou-"

"Mr. Arc!" A voice shouted and he stopped mid step, though not of his own volition. He continued to stare at the frightened eyes of his childish self. Only the body of Professor Goodwitch came between the sight, with her green eyes replacing blue. Her eyes were far sharper, far more brutal than those of Jaune.

He'd rather see those angry greens than the intimidated blues. "You will _not_ attack a student, for any reason! That is absolutely unacceptable behavior!" She chastised him before turning to his counterpart, saying something so quietly to him that he couldn't hear. He saw Jaune run away, however, and he scoffed in agitation. Of course, always running away, just like Jaune always did.

She turned back to him, her face absolutely livid. "What were you thinking? You are a guest here, Mr. Arc, and as such, I have authority to remove you if I deem you dangerous to the well-being of my students! Traumatized or not, I will put aside my own personal pity for you and throw you out without a moment's thought if you had actually hurt him."

He scoffed, his already deep scowl somehow deepening. "Please. That kid could've taken my best punch and just shrugged it off. What could I have done besides let out frustration?"

"It's not whether you could hurt him or not, it's the intention behind the strikes." She let him go of her telekinesis, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. He only caught himself due to his training. Glynda sighed and fixed her glasses, her anger subduing for the moment. "I don't know what that was about, or what happened over at the dorms, but this will not happen again, understood?" He remained silent. "I said, _understood_?"

Grumbling, he replied "Yes." She nodded, shaking her head with another sigh. "You're acting like a child, Mr. Arc. Please remember what age you are and act it. Now, follow me. I will show you to your temporary quarters." She walked off, not waiting for his reply. He watched her go until she was around ten meters away before he followed after her. Whenever he got to his room, he was going to pass the fuck out.

* * *

 **Whoo, I was able to post this much sooner than I expected. I expected this to take a week at least, but I've been running on motivation to pump out a chapter soon for you guys. I got a ton of positive feedback, which made me very happy to see. Thanks to all those who reviewed, and if I haven't responded to your comments then I apologize, I just tend to be away from anything besides a pretty crap phone.**

 **I'm feeling kind of iffy about this chapter. I would take another day to review it and ensure it's how I want, but I likely won't get to see another computer for a few days, so I decided to post it now instead of later. I'll slow down on posting if it ends up hurting the quality though.**

 **I gave a bit of insight into Arthur's past instead of starting it from after Ozpin leaves. Too much talk and a story gets boring, which is really ironic since that's what 99% of this is so far. :| We'll get into action next chapter, don't worry. Also, should I change the rating to M? This story doesn't seem too appropriate for T, especially with the war flashbacks and naughty language. I'll either tone that down and make it more fitting for the T-rating or bump up said rating.**

 **Anyways, I'll try to leave this one short (since my last one was a decent sized chunk of the chapter... Oops?) so I can get some lunch.**

 **Leave a review on your thoughts, I seriously love getting your guys' thoughts on this story. I'm only one person after all, I could use some help! Also favorite and follow, cuz even though I am seriously impressed with the large number of followers, I'm a greedy bastard. But I've dragged it on, again, so I'll leave it here. Adios.**


	3. Chapter 3 - Security Derail

_3 Years Ago_

"Mission objective: Capture or kill target, codename Cigar." I read aloud, humming quietly. I looked over at my mates, the group of man and women I've come to think of as family. I started reading the document once I knew I had everyone's attention.

"Cigar will be surrounded by heavy protection at all time. The first rotation, our sources claim, starts at 0000, exactly midnight. There is a very short window of two minutes between rotations. By that time we have to be in and out with Cigar, no matter what. If we fail to meet the midnight op, we'll have to wait four hours before the next comes in.

"The compound is a complex series of mazes and traps. We have a map of the place, but it's incomplete and possibly outdated. We will be splitting into two teams, codenamed Juniper and Ruby." I rolled my eyes as everyone cracked a grin towards our very humble and gracious squad leader. "Good job at the subtle naming there, Rose." I lightly slugged her in the shoulder, though the one she sent back was much harder. I cringed and rubbed my now sore shoulder.

"Anyways," I started. "The General thought it best that I lead the operation, which is why I'm the one up here talking my ass off. Rose will be the go-to guy if I fuck something up, but make sure to check in with me if you do." Everyone nodded, but Sergeant Valkyrie raised her hand with a confused grin. I nodded towards her.

She stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Yeah, um, what exactly do the teams do? If there are two separate units, that must mean we have two objectives." I nodded with a smile. She may be a bit on the strange side, but Nora was as astute as her fiancé, Ren.

"Correct, Sergeant. Our main objective is to find Cigar and make sure he doesn't cause anymore problems for our forces in the area. But the secondary objective is to find suspected plans of a weapon of mass destruction hidden somewhere in the compound." I crossed my arms behind my back, my look thoughtful.

"We've been hearing whispers that the terrorists are conspiring with the Russians, whom, as we all know, we are also at war with, to create something strong enough to eliminate the Unified Forces of Euro-Merica. Now the Central Intelligence Bureau thought this was just a little rumor spread by paranoid civvies and conspiracists, but after interrogating a high ranking officer, he let something called 'Project Chernobog' slip.

"We're not sure how local civilians heard of it, but it might have been a tactical spill by the terrorists. No other explanation why such a secretive weapon would be out in the open. For clarification on the name for anyone not a history freak, and since none of you probably don't know who Chernobog is, it's a Slavic god who, by Medieval Christian accounts, is a dark and accursed monster.

"It's unknown whether or not this is a serious threat, since this is the only account of the project that we have, but it's been deemed important enough to be checked out. Any more questions?" Xiao-Long stepped forward, her strange lilac eyes looking up at the board behind me.

"Two, actually." Her eyes locked onto his. "What are the team rosters?"

"Juniper consists of Valkyrie, Ren, Nikos and myself. Ruby consists of Rose, Schnee, Belladonna, and yourself. What's your other question?" She nodded.

"What all do we know about the compound?"

"It's roughly fifteen thousand square feet in size. Very big, but not unexpected for someone as high ranking as Cigar. Due to its size, it's very well armed, and likely filled with traps and mazes on the inside to confuse any intruders. We managed to get our hands on the original blueprints for the mansion, but they're clearly outdated, seeing as it was made four decades ago. It may only be a little different or entirely, so we can't rely on it too much.

"It's surrounded by hundreds of soldiers at all times. We are not going in guns blazing because of this reason. We need to sneak in and take care of the target quietly. The surrounding area is also likely coated with mines and sensors. This is, without a doubt, going to be the trickiest insertion in our careers, but I'm confident in everyone's abilities. As is the General, clearly." I nodded towards Yang as she moved back, and seeing as no one else had any questions, I smirked.

"Now, let's go get 'em."

* * *

 _Present_

Arthur groaned as his alarm went off, interrupting his blissful sleep. His hand slammed on the bedside table as he reached for it, said hand meeting the cool wood a few more times before he hit the damn thing. He sat up slowly with a grumble. "Stupid mornings, stupid alarms, stupid…"

He trailed off as he looked around the room. "Fuck."

He slid off the bed with a weary sigh. He shivered as the blanket fell away, his eyes closing once more. "Wasn't a damn dream. That fuckin' blows." With a grunt he stretched, raising his arms high above his head as he bent his back enough to pop it. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips and he scratched his behind, a blank look on his face.

With tired steps, he made his way to the bathroom, his left leg clanking everytime it hit the floor. He looked down at the hunk of metal and grumbled again. "Do you have to be so noisy in the morning?" He said with a sigh. "Gonna have to get carpet. The clanking is gonna get to me eventually."

He closed the bathroom door behind him and walked up to the sink. Turning it on, he splashed his face with cool water, helping him wake up almost fully. He turned it off and looked up at his reflection. His blue eyes were still the same; it would have been weird if they had changed overnight, but stranger things have happened so far. He looked down towards his chin and rubbed the stubble that laid there. He'd have to go buy a razor soon, he thought to himself.

His eyes trailed off towards the numerous scars lining his features, the most noticeable one being across his lips. Going from the bottom left of his jaw up to his right cheekbone, it stretched across his lip and lower nose from what was a very close call to death.

He gently ran his fingers across it, his eyes slowly fogging up as he recalled the events that caused the scar. Three years ago, almost to the day, he realized. It was almost laughable how easily he remembered how and when he got his scars, but also how easily he forgot to do simple things like the laundry.

His attention was turned towards a knock at his apartment door. He walked out of the bathroom and opened the door, quirking an eyebrow at the blonde woman. "Mornin' Glynda. To what do I owe this pleasure?" The woman pushed her glasses up and glanced off to the side, a light blush on her face. He grinned slightly, leaning against the doorframe. "Here to ask me for a date, eh? Well I acce-"

"Put some clothes on, Mr. Arc. I'd rather us not converse with you in nothing but your underwear," she grated out in annoyance.

He rolled his eyes, motioning for her to come in.

"I'll have you know I was about to take a shower before you interrupted, so I might've answered fully clothed if you came around in thirty minutes."

"It's ten o'clock, you should have already done that." He shrugged, an easy grin on his face. The professor sighed, her hands going up to rub her temples. Arthur moved over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of sweatpants.

"School clothing?" He mumbled, but ultimately put them on with a shrug. "Are you really trying to enroll me in your school?" Turning around, he was met with a bemused Glynda. He snorted and walked over to his bed, sitting down on the end of it. "No fan of early morning jokes eh? Whatever. Go ahead and take a seat."

She didn't. "When I said put clothes on, I intended for you to get fully dressed. We're going to check your health, both mental and physical, before we make our decision on where to put you. We'll also be doing a background check, to ensure you're not a liar or a spy." The man hummed, idly listening. He supposed that was fine, though he suspected he didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"Fine. Give me a minute to clean up, I'll be out in a jiffy."

Half an hour later, the two blondes were sitting down in the nurse's office. Arthur still wore the sport sweatpants, but added a pair of white running shoes and a sweatshirt. Simple and easy, just how he liked it.

"This isn't so bad," he said as the nurse drew blood. "I expected to be cut open and examined like a frog."

Glynda rolled her eyes at the exaggeration. "I wouldn't be particularly adverse to that, Mr. Arc." His lips twitched upwards in amusement. "However, Ozpin doesn't want that, so we went with this instead."

The nurse spoke up, bringing out something he recognized as the light doctors used to check your eyesight and hearing. "Please sit up straight and don't blink." She shone it in both his eyes quickly enough, same with his ears. When was the last time he cleaned his ears, come to think of it? He hoped it wasn't full of wax, that would be a bit embarrassing.

"Your senses are fine, from what I can tell. Would you mind if we moved onto the physical?" He shook his head, leaning back on his hands. The nurse nodded. "Very well. I'll start with your knees, to ensure your ability to both react and land in any given situation."

He idly wondered why she was explaining her reasoning, but seeing as it was a futile effort, he instead nodded in understanding. She brought out the rubber hammer before tapping his right knee. It twitched, as it should, and she moved over to his left. He couldn't hold back the grin anymore as she tapped it, making a metallic clanging sound.

Glynda apologized, for which he had no idea why. "I'm sorry Ms. Jewel, I forgot to mention his prosthetic." Wait, she only saw it this morning, so why did she sound so casual about it?

"Ah, that's normal." Huh? Normal? Back home these things cost millions. Less than a hundred in the world even had them! "Are you a Huntsman, by any chance?" She asked. He shook his head, a confused eyebrow quirked.

"Are Huntsmen the only people to get prosthetics here?" He asked aloud. Glynda looked over at him with a quick shake of her head.

"No, but they are rare, due to their expenses. Huntsman tend to get them free of charge thanks to our fairly remarkable healthcare benefits." Similar to the US, then. Just a little better, since this would have cost him a pretty penny had he not agreed to their terms.

The nurse then spoke up. "You must be pretty wealthy to get something like this," She admired his leg, causing him to perk up slightly. A pretty lady fawning over you always resulted in a bit of ego inflation. "I haven't seen too many robotic parts, but this seems almost state of the art. The only person I've seen with this level of technology is General Ironwood. Where did you get it?" She looked up at him with very curious eyes.

Arthur hesitated. He couldn't tell the truth, clearly Glynda wanted to keep that tight lipped, but how was he supposed to respond? He looked over to the professor, only to see her staring back with a quirked eyebrow. Ah, so he was all alone. Marvelous. "I uh, served in the military. Explosive test gone wrong."

"Oh, you're a veteran? That does explain the physique if you aren't a Huntsman." She smiled at him, standing up to her full height. "Would you mind sending me some of your medical records, then? It would help immensely in integrating you back into the world." His mouth went dry. Aw dammit, his lie went and blew up in his face. He couldn't back out now though, otherwise she'd get suspicious.

Nodding with a silent curse towards the God that had forsaken him, Arthur smiled back. "Of course. It'll take a while however, they'll need to collect them, organize them, and then prepare them for sending, but it shouldn't be impossible." The brunette nodded gratefully before she went on with the physical.

An hour and plenty of violating tests later, the two blondes were headed towards Professor Ozpin's office. Glynda silently stewed besides him, but he didn't care. She put him in that position, she deserved every piece of flak sent her way. That's what happens when you test him in a vital role without any foreknowledge.

Though perhaps his smirk was a bit much, judging by her intense glare. "You know, with that look, I'm pretty sure you could've forced Hitler into stopping the war early."

"With your idiocy, the Great War would have ended with us all slaughtered by the Grimm." As feisty as ever, he dryly thought.

"Mine was a compliment, thank you."

"Mine wasn't."

Boy was she in a bad mood. He shrugged in her direction, just to antagonize her more. Her eyes glinted and, for a terrible second, he expected to be flung out a nearby window. Luckily that didn't happen, as they stumbled upon an elevator. She pressed the button without glancing away, causing him to believe she knew her way around better than he knew the back of his hand.

Which was probably true. Who even remembers what the back of their hand looks like? He didn't, and no one he knew did either. It made no sense, but he digressed. The elevator doors slid open and the professor stepped in, followed by him. He looked at all the buttons and hummed.

It was pretty big, but he'd seen bigger.

"... Yeah, never gonna say that one out loud." With a sigh, he adjusted the loose sweatshirt, grumbling under his breath.

"I fully intend for you to behave yourself in Professor Ozpin's office." He noticed she didn't say 'expect', showing how little faith she had in him. He should have been insulted, but he only shrugged. She was right after all, he wouldn't expect himself to behave either.

"Why are we going there anyway?" He questioned. "I thought I'd be escorted around in a tour."

"No, that would be stupid. I don't trust you around the students, especially after last night's fiasco." She was savage, wasn't she? That was three insults all in one. His intelligence, his trustworthiness, and his anger issues. Ah, he never felt so perfectly understood.

"We're going to see what Ozpin will have you do today. We can't have you stuck inside all the time, nor can we have you wandering around aimlessly. You're a soldier, so we decided you'd respond better to working rather than lazing around."

He took that back. He never felt so utterly misunderstood. "Ah," he weakly responded. Were they going to make him a janitor? He dealt with that once at his first job. He despised it. Before he could make a proper response, the doors opened with a ding, and the two stepped out.

Arthur looked around the room, his awe hidden to no one. This office was freaking dope. It was full of cogs and gears, kind of like a massive clock, that circled around overhead with a periodic clunking noise.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by a cough, drawing his attention to the white haired man behind the desk. Glynda was beside him, which was rather impressive, considering he hadn't even heard her move in those heels of hers. How lost in thought was he?

"Good morning, Mr. Arc. How has your stay been so far?" Ozpin greeted, and he was caught back by the friendliness of the man. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he moved up to take a seat.

Just what did he want?

"Terrible. I've been bombarded with idiocy everywhere I go." That was a stretch, since the nurse's office wasn't bad in that respect, and he'd only been to the dorms and his room, but still. Kids were stupid.

"I'm very sorry to hear that. We'll try our best to make your stay better." He sounded like a damn hotel manager, but he wouldn't complain.

"Maybe you can get me some five star meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That'll make it better. Oh, and I want a penthouse suite. I like my living to be nice."

"Of course." Ozpin stated simply. He knew the man was only saying that to be civil and that he wasn't going to do any of it, but that didn't mean he couldn't poke fun at the man's civility. "In the meantime, perhaps you'd like a temporary job to complete while you're here."

He wouldn't like that at all, but he didn't have much choice. "Sure, hit me with what you want."

"Don't worry, you'll have no interaction with the students." That sounded suspiciously like janitorial duty. "We want you to be security."

Security? Him? To a bunch of super powered kids and adults? That seemed extremely unnecessary. He voiced that concern, but Ozpin just smiled.

"You're absolutely correct, Mr. Arc. However you fail to recognize that we, too, need sleep. We have a few night shifts for teachers, but that ultimately affects their ability to educate. Glynda and I have also spent countless nights observing for any intruders.

"But we see an opportunity in you to ultimately help us and, consequently, the school. By having a night shift security guard, we can all get the sleep required for the next day of learning, training, and potential fighting." It made sense, he supposed. There was one problem, though…

"You want me, by myself, to watch the entire school? I may be special forces, but even I'm only one person. Especially if some super powered freak tried breaking in. I have fancy moves, but I don't see them working on people with literal soul armor."

Glynda nodded, stepping forward slightly. "Which is why, after a long debate between the faculty, we decided to unlock your Aura. We're positive you can at least be trusted with that, and if you can't, then we can and will deal with you accordingly." He shrugged for the umpteenth time that day, leaning back in his chair.

"Alright, I'm down. I wouldn't mind a little extra protection." She nodded once more.

"Stand up, if you will." He did, albeit with a sigh. Those chairs were damn comfy, he remarked. She touched her hand to his chest, her green eyes closing. "Only through failure do we learn our strengths, and only through victory do we master them.

"It is in the darkest hours that we see the light and become beacons of hope. By thy shoulder, I free your potential and your soul, of which I solemnly swear to defend." He noticed a purple glow outline the woman, but no such light surrounded him.

He looked down at his own body and noticed no change, causing a frown to form. "I don't think it worked. You sure you said the right words?"

"I- But.. how?" She looked even more baffled than he did, and even Ozpin seemed surprised by the turn of events. Was this a new thing? "It should have worked. It always works. Nobody can be without Aura, that would mean they lack a soul - it would mean they were no different than the Grimm!"

Uh-oh. Was he a bad guy? He'd be a pretty terrible bad guy if he can't get anything cool. "Maybe you did it wrong?" She shook her head, her eyes looking at him in bewilderment.

"No. I didn't. I've unlocked numerous individuals' Auras throughout my years as a teacher. I've never failed." Well that couldn't possibly be a good thing. Maybe it was because he was new to the world? Or something genetic? No, otherwise the other Jaune wouldn't have Aura.

Ozpin decided to speak up, his voice calm and collected, unlike his frantic assistant. "Mr. Arc seems to have no soul, or at least not one compatible with our techniques. It is very peculiar indeed, but nothing to be afraid of. He is very clearly human and not a Creature of Grimm. We'll simply find another way to get him prepared for his new job and accommodate for his… predicament." The two nodded, Arthur sighing.

"So I can't get some cool powers, big deal. I've gone my entire life being the underdog, I can deal with it. Just give me a rifle and I'll be good to go. Might take a few more shots, but everyone can be put down." The other blonde shook her head, sighing in exasperation.

"A trained Huntsman would get to you in seconds before you could fire the gun. There's simply too wide a power gap between a soldier that DOES have an Aura and even a trainee Huntsman. You being capable of defending yourself, let alone this entire school is impossible if you don't have any Aura." He rolled his eyes, leaning back into the seat. Ozpin stared on, his face contemplative.

"If you want to get some sleep, you'll let me do this. I don't like being here, but I like doing nothing even less. I'm special forces, I'm sure I can handle guard duty. Even if it takes a damn rocket launcher to take down the person, I'll do it."

Glynda glared down at him, pushing her glasses up her nose. "Are you even listening? Anyone who tries to break into this school won't be your average criminal. They will potentially have Huntsman level training, at least. Even a student with basic training could almost certainly kill you, Mr. Arc"

"They may be stronger and faster than I am, but I have years more experience and tactics under my belt. If I could take down an entire battalion with nothing more than a few squads, I can do this!" Arthur leaned forward, his hands squeezing the arms of the chair with his lips pulled back in an angry sneer. This dumb bitch kept doubting his skills, just because he didn't have some stupid ass magical powers? He didn't need them to kill a person, he could do that just fine with his equipment!

"Besides, I'm sure Aura doesn't protect against deadly gasses, chokeholds, drowning, intense light, sounds, or anything else that could overwhelm the senses to disable them. From what you told me, it only protects against physical damages. I can take people down without hitting 'em."

The deputy headmistress went to speak, but Ozpin spoke before she had the chance. "Mr. Arc," His voice didn't relay any of his feelings on the matter, nor did his face. "While you are correct in your assessment, Ms. Goodwitch is with hers. I'm sure you could take down a Huntsman with those tactics, but that is assuming they don't know your position and run you down before you can react.

"The gap between a normal human, even one trained as you are, and a full fledged Huntsman is similar to the gap between a biplane and an Atlesian flagship. While the biplane could, in theory, take down the airship, the chances are slim to none that it would succeed except for very specific and unlikely scenarios." The blond scowled, cursing under his breath. He didn't particularly like Ozpin, nor did he dislike him, but he knew that what was being said was close enough to the truth.

Glynda spoke up, her voice mutely smug. "So you canno-" She was cut off by Ozpin, who shot her a look before continuing.

"However, I may have something that could help you increase those chances. You're clearly a soldier by heart, and you wouldn't give up a life of one for anything, correct?" Arthur nodded, his scowl going away and being replaced with an interested look. "Then I don't see why we would force you into retirement if you don't wish it. We're not a democracy here at Beacon, we give people fair chances, Aura or not.

"I will call a friend of mine to bring something that could assist in your job, but for now, I encourage you to tour around the campus, get a good idea of the layout, and potentially get to know the students once Ms. Goodwitch thinks you're ready." With a nod, Arthur stood up, his eyes meeting Ozpin's.

"Thank you, I appreciate the opportunity."

"Don't thank me just yet. I'm still very skeptical of you, but I don't see you as the cruel type. Just... angry, at the world." The older man smiled and sipped from his cup before spinning his chair around to view outside the window. "I'll call you back to my office once we receive it. Have a good day, Mr. Arc."

He mumbled the statement back and looked over at the other blonde, shrugging his shoulders. She sighed, her heels clicking as she walked towards the elevator doors. "Follow me, Mr. Arc. I will give you a tour of the school, but do keep in mind to avoid Team JNPR to avoid any further altercations between you and them."

"Sounds dandy to me. It'd be too awkward to see them so soon. Kinda like seeing the girl you took out on a date where it all went horribly wrong, but you two work together so you have no choice but to see her the next day or skip wor-"

"You're rambling, Mr. Arc." He grinned and shrugged, showing her he did it to annoy her.

"Oops, was I? My mistake, Glynda." She sighed and shook her head. She pressed the down button and stared at the doors as the elevator descended.

"This is going to be a long day." The professor grumbled.

* * *

 **Man, is switching a DocX file to a Story file weird for the first time. Had a ton of weird screw ups, but hey, it might have all worked out in the end.**

 **You may be asking yourself, "Hey, Boltzmann, why'd you delete chapters 3 and 4?" Well, my dear readers, it's because they sucked. I redid them. Or, well, redid chapter 3 so far, but 4 is surely on its way. Reviewers told me that the quality dropped drastically, so I decided that wasn't a good thing, and went back to change it with the help of Recycler. Thanks for basically being my beta and getting me back in gear 3 Couldn't have done this without ya.**

 **So yeah, here's chapter 3 new and improved, I hope you enjoyed. Review if you did or didn't and tell me why so I can make this story, and future stories, more enjoyable for you. Also favorite + follow if you haven't already, because it makes me feel all tingly.**

 **P.S. Chapter 4 should be out sometime next week, but that's just a goal, not definitive. I won't do the chapter per 2 day thing anymore, sorry. Quality quantity though, amirite?**


	4. Chapter 4 - World War Juane

Chapter 4

 _Everybody's Gotta Die Sometime_

* * *

 _Beta: Recycler_

* * *

 _3 Years Ago_

We were separated into two Black Hawk helicopters, two of each team in both. Some people didn't like that idea, namely Valkyrie, but I was adamant about it. Having two of each team on separate helicopters would ensure that even if one were shot down, God forbid, then the mission could continue as necessary.

Of course, we had three squads of elite Navy SEALs on standby if we needed assistance, but having backup plans never hurt anyone.

I sighed, the sound going unheard over the sound of the wind. Rose looked over at me anyways, her gray eyes the only part showing on her face. I nodded towards her, smiling under my mask. She seemed to notice somehow, she always did, and gave a happy nod back. How she stayed so optimistic, I wouldn't know. Especially as the commanding officer, I expected her to be a stick-up-the-ass kinda person.

I certainly was under equal pressure. I looked over at Ren and Schnee, both of which were focused entirely on their equipment. I thought about doing the same, but I had already done so about five hundred times as soon as we got on the Black Hawk.

Hell, I was so nervous that my motion sickness didn't even cause any problems. My inner turmoil was doing enough of that as is. I gripped the oh-shit handle as we hit a particularly bad burst of turbulence, another sigh coming forth. How shitty would it be to die from a damn mechanical malfunction?

To make matters worse, a fairly severe sandstorm was brewing. Sure, it was the reason they decided now would be a good time for the mission, as the compound would be on skeleton crew because of it, but it was terrible for flights.

Ren looked up from his weapons, two HK MP7s, and looked over at me, his pink eyes covered by a pair of goggles. "We're almost to the landing zone." With a nod, I spoke up, both to the others and through my comms.

"Hope everyone's brought cookies, we're almost at grandma's house." I heard a couple chuckles, but I knew they weren't because what I said was funny.

"Let's hope there's no wolves when we get there." Belladonna commented through the comms, but Xiao-Long laughed. I almost scowled - her joke wasn't funnier than mine, damn it - but I kept it away.

"Don't jinx us," Schnee followed up. "Or else you'll being eaten first." We all shared a brief laugh at Xiao-Long's protest. I felt my muscles relax and let out another sigh, nodding to myself. It was good to see all that tension fade away when we talked to each other.

"Enough joking kids," Rose chided good-heartedly. "We're here." As she said that I felt the chopper jolt as we hit the ground, causing me to suck in air through my clenched teeth. I always hated these damn machines, they were more like large metal coffins than anything. When the doors opened, I was the first out. I hid it under the guise of me checking for any potential threats, which if Ren's attentiveness was any indications, wasn't that bad of an excuse.

"Secure the perimeter," I told Nikos and Belladonna. "Make sure we don't have any wolves." They nodded and went off together, their weapons drawn and ready. I looked over at Valkyrie and Ren, nodding towards Rose. "Go with Rose to stake out the compound. Protect her and each other." They replied in unison with a 'Yes sergeant' before leaving as well. That left Schnee, Xiao-Long and me to set up base.

"Geez, left us to do the boring work, huh Sarge?" I rolled my eyes at the woman, deciding not to fall into her trap. She sighed dramatically. "And I put so much effort into my hair this morning. You're gonna make it mess up."

"Well maybe if you cut it, that wouldn't be a problem," Schnee scolded. I chuckled, shaking my head as I checked the radio, changing frequencies to ensure it all worked.

"I'll cut my hair when you dye your hair something other than platinum blonde." Schnee growled, her ice blue eyes narrowed on Xiao-Long.

The two continued to bicker, not that I cared. It didn't have any real heat, though it might once have, so it didn't hurt any. Besides, it was kinda funny. I looked up off in the distance, barely seeing Rose on her stomach looking through her scope as Ren and Valkyrie were on guard behind her.

An odd feeling came over me, and I knew it wasn't good.

* * *

 _Present_

Jaune walked down the empty halls of Beacon, his feet on autopilot as it led him to class. He woke up late, having been awoken by his partner, but they left for class when he got in the shower. Which was fine with him, really. He needed alone time to think things over. Namely, the other Jaune Arc. Or rather Arthur, as he decided to call himself.

He wasn't sure what to think of him, or why they didn't get along. Surely they should have clicked since they were the same person? But they didn't, and it was somehow his fault, so Arthur said. What did he do wrong to the guy? Sure he wasn't as rugged, but he had still improved greatly since the start of the school year a month ago. Not as much as he'd like, heck he still couldn't beat that bully Cardin, but he was getting there!

What could Arthur even do? From what he could see, all he did was push him, and it wasn't even that hard. Maybe he held back, but his anger seemed out of control. Jaune wasn't an expert on emotions, but usually when someone was that angry they wouldn't just hold back punches. At least he wouldn't hold back, and it was a safe bet that an alternate him would be the same.

So why was the guy so infuriated at him not being stronger, or cooler, or more courageous when he was the exact same? It was irritating enough that he had himself pulling hairs trying to figure it out!

He sighed, shaking his head slowly. Thinking wouldn't help solve the problem, but he couldn't think of anything else to do. Confronting the guy would probably end just as badly as the last time, and he doubted Pyrrha and the others would be fine with him going again anyways. A part of him told him to just talk to Ruby again, as she was able to cheer him up when he had some self-conscious moments.

Or, a louder part of him said, he could instead just prove him wrong. It would be hard; a lot of sweat, blood and tears most likely, but he'd do it. His hands tightened into fists, his eyes narrowing at the thought. He'd have to train harder, harder than ever before…

Which wasn't saying much, since the hardest he trained was in Miss Goodwitch's class, but still! He'd start running laps around the academy, doing a hundred push-ups and sit-ups in the morning and night, doing fifty pull-ups every day!

Well, maybe he was exaggerating, but he'd get there. "Hey Arc," A voice broke him out of his thoughts, causing him to look over at the source. It was his one and only bully, Cardin Winchester, standing there with a patronizing grin. It made his blood boil.

"What are you doing out of class Cardin?" He asked, trying to sound as nice as possible. Maybe Cardin would leave him alone if he didn't show his feelings? He hoped.

"I should be asking you that," He stepped forward, his grin growing wider. "But that would be looking a gift horse in the mouth. I couldn't help but notice you mumbling something about this 'Arthur' guy. Is he your boyfriend?" Jaune rolled his eyes, an exasperated sigh coming forth.

"He's not my boyfriend, I'm not into guys." He ignored the sarcastic 'sure' from the larger teen, resisting the urge to grit his teeth. "He's," He thought for a second, before answering hesitantly, "my brother. He just came to Beacon to, uh, visit me. I was just thinking about how I would show him how much I've grown."

"Your brother? Is he just as much of a loser as you are?" The knight shrugged, although he felt a strange surge of irritation at the bully for insulting Arthur. Why would he be mad about that? The guy deserved every insult he got for how he talked to him. He was probably just mad about being insulted himself, yeah.

Jaune started to walk again, his legs moving faster than previously as he tried to get out of the conversation. Sure, he wasn't being as antagonistic as usual, but it was kinda like that saying about calm and storms. "I don't know, I haven't seen him in a long time. He was like me when he was my age though."

"Well, once a loser, always a loser." The auburn-haired teen followed Jaune step for step, causing the blond to gulp. "Say, how about you take me to him? I'd like to meet Jaune the First." The boy's grin suggested he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

Jaune was stuck between a rock and a hard place; either say no to Cardin and probably get pummeled before being forced to take him to Arthur anyways, or confront the older him and probably start something between Cardin and Arthur.

' _Better him than me_ ,' Jaune thought, resigning himself with a depressed sigh.

"Well, I don't know where he's at, but we can look for him after classes, I guess." Seeing Cardin's pleased grin made a sense of dread fill in Jaune's stomach. He should've stayed in bed…

* * *

Beacon was nice, Arthur supposed. It may just be the fantastical feel of this world, but it gave him a sort of Hogwarts feel, despite the obvious differences between the two vastly different schools. He had asked Glynda if there were any evil noseless guys seeking immortality, but all she gave him was a strange look.

It's not his fault they don't have decent books around here.

"...and that's where the students go for Combat Class, which I teach." The professor pointed to a bland door which had a plaque above it, titled very originally, 'Combat 101'. He chuckled briefly at the name.

"Neat. Can we go in?" He asked. The other blonde hummed for a moment, before nodding her head in approval. She looked over at him before verbally replying.

"Don't touch anything that looks important unless I give you permission and am there to guide you. Understood?" The man nodded, his eyes rolling at the lecturing tone. Glynda either didn't notice or just gave up on his attitude before walking into her class, her phone quickly unlocking the door. Arthur noticed, however, and stopped at the futuristic lock.

"Whoa. Did this unlock your door just by reading your cell?" She quirked an eyebrow, holding up her device.

"My scroll is connected to the security system, allowing me to unlock any door if I need. Where students' scrolls can only unlock the doors to their dormitories, faculty scrolls can unlock almost any door. Ozpin and myself are the two faculty that can access the few places other teachers cannot."

"Scrolls? Strange name for a cell phone, but I guess it works." He shrugged, running a hand over the scanner. "When I was young, I had these aspirations of making some grandiose technology that would solve lots of problems. World hunger, poverty, even war." Retracting his hand he turned towards the door, walking inside after Glynda.

"Did your World War prevent you from doing it?" He shook his head, a frown appearing on his face.

"No college would accept me, so I thought I wouldn't be able to do it. I knew about Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, how they created a multi-billion dollar businesses on technology even though they were high school dropouts, but I never thought that could be me, y'know?" She stayed silent, but he knew she was listening. "So I just kinda gave up, worked a mediocre job at a local Wal-Mart before I got drafted into the military. Very ironic for the kid who wanted to create world peace and be heralded as a hero."

The blonde woman hummed quietly, walking over to the controls in the front of the room. "It seems fate has a cruel sense of humor with you, Mr. Arc." The soldier grinned darkly, following her still.

"Guess so. Makes me pretty special that the universe up and decides 'Hey, let's fuck with this guy specifically' and then teams up with another universe to do it." The stoic teacher shook her head in amusement, her hands flying across the controls. "What are ya doin'?" He asked, peeking over her shoulder.

"I actually have a class coming in in a few hours. I didn't have the time to set it up earlier because I was with you, but thankfully it seems I have time now."

"Seems you do." He looked up at the screen, noticing all the names on it. There was a whole bunch of randoms, but there was a recurring theme with it. It was subtle, but not so subtle that someone with the right know-how couldn't pick up on it.

They all had names associated with colors or colorful objects. He looked at the green eyed professor and asked her why the names were like that, unknowing of the enriched history behind it.

Without looking up, Glynda replied, "Around eighty years ago, the largest war ever seen on Remnant came to an end. It was a war on personal liberties and freedom of expression, to put it in fairly simplistic terms, but it ultimately came out with individual expression the victor. A..." She paused, searching for the proper word. "Law, I suppose, came about, saying that children must be named after a color, something that sounds like a color, something that means a color or something that is evocative as a color. People call it the 'Color Naming Rule', aptly so."

Arthur leaned against the desk, his expression slightly confused. "Ignoring the piss poor summary of your version of World War I, that whole law is a oxymoron for individual liberties. Forcing your people to name their children after colors seems like a pretty damn terrible way to maintain freedom of expression."

"I called it a 'law' because I couldn't think of a better word to describe it, though 'custom' would be a more appropriate term." Glynda sighed, rubbing her forehead. "It's not mandatory to name a child after a color. In fact, plenty of people ignore the color rule. It's not enforced as a law, but it is technically a law, as the King at the time instated it in an attempt to prevent anti-individualism from rising again."

"Your history is all kinds of whack. Mine is a little more orderly, and we fought our World Wars to prevent dictators from ruling the world. Not to prevent people from seeing the whole." Seriously, fighting over things like self expression? He'd expect those early 21st Century 'Social Justice Warriors' to do that, not actual lawmen.

"You don't seem to understand what I'm saying, though that's understandable. You're new here, so you don't understand our politics." He nodded. That's true, this entire thing was confusing. But he didn't understand his own world's politics either, to be fair.

"We need to make every citizen as happy as possible to prevent negativity from spreading. Get enough negativity in your city and Grimm swarm it like someone just rang the dinner bell. We can fight off Grimm, certainly, but a Grimm attack only increases the negativity due to the destruction, drawing in more and more until we either retreat and abandon the settlement or everyone in said settlement is dead.

"Personal liberty and freedom is necessary to prevent such an event. Some disagree, namely the Kingdom of Atlas, and instead divert their efforts into fighting back a Grimm invasion. But I digress," She sighed, pushing up her glasses. "The people are happy and unique, we have strong militaries, and we have Huntsmen and Huntresses ready to defend the people at a moment's notice. For the foreseeable future, we're safe."

"You call yourselves Hunters, so why not just go out and, well, hunt? Sitting back and defending makes no sense with a name like that."

"You think we haven't tried?" Glynda snapped at him, causing him to frown towards her. "There's far too many Grimm. Our best estimates range in the billions, with some going so far as to say hundreds of billions. While human population has surged since the Great War, it's still barely over a quarter-billion. Not even five percent of that becomes military personnel, and not even five percent of that number become Huntsmen. We are very rare, Mr. Arc. We may be powerful, but even ten million huntsman couldn't hunt down and slay every Grimm out there, let alone the numbers we have in reality."

Arthur sighed, shrugging in defeat. "If I were you, I'd just launch some nukes out in the wild, at least cull their potential habitats for a while to gather strength. From the sounds of it, they've been a big thorn in your side for hundreds of years. In my world, a threat like that would get nuked pretty solidly. So long as other nations agreed, of course." A fine blonde eyebrow was raised from his companion.

"I'm not sure what a nuke is, but it sounds very similar to a missile."

"You don't have nukes? Damn, let's hope your militaries don't find a way to cross dimensions and try to screw with mine. Anyways, they're kinda like missiles, just a hell of a lot stronger. You have TNT, right?" At her affirmative nod, he continued.

"The first atomic weapon we tested, the Trinity Project, had an explosive yield of 20 kilotons of TNT. That's twenty thousand tons of TNT. But that was just the first, and it was one of the weaker ones. Atomic weapons could only get up to around half a megaton, but the largest hydrogen bomb ever detonated was fifty megatons. That's fifty million tons of TNT.

"Anyways, I won't go into the other thousand or so nukes, but these things are strong enough to blow up entire cities and kill millions of people. I'd recommend you guys get some of that, it'd help you out a lot. Not the killing millions of people, though. That's kinda bad."

"I see…" The awe in her voice made him grin. "Why would you make these things?"

"Well…" He launched off into a little more history of World War Two, talking about Nazis and the Japanese. History wasn't his thing, but he took a particular fancy to WWII. They chatted for a good hour and a half, sharing stories and history and whatever else came to mind. It could have gone on for longer, had the bell not rang, signaling the next class period.

Glynda sighed, walking over to the computer and typing a few more things in. "Class is about to start. If you want to, you may stand near the office door and spectate. Just please do not interfere or interact with the students. If you get asked any questions, stay quiet and I'll handle it."

"Alright, I guess." He mumbled, walking over to his spot. "What'll you tell them?"

"The truth. You're our new night guard and I'm simply showing you the ropes." Arthur nodded, scratching the back of his neck. "You're worried about Team JNPR, aren't you?"

He scowled, scoffing. "As if I would be worried about a buncha kids coming in here."

"So you are, then."

He just scoffed again, crossing his arms. A scowl adorned his face, his prior good mood sunken at the mention of this universe's version of his friends. "I'm not concerned about it, alright? I couldn't give a single shit about any of them."

"Except you do, otherwise you wouldn't be so angry." The teacher looked at him, her green eyes analyzing his reactions. He didn't like that look; it made him feel like he was some sort of exhibit and she a tourist.

"Whatever." He grunted, leaning against the wall. Shortly after, students started walking in, their chatter filling the room. The grown man sighed and closed his eyes, a yawn tearing itself from his throat. After a few short minutes the entire class was filled, much to Arthur's chagrin, as the sound was amped up quite a bit.

Glynda stepped forward and cleared her throat, immediately silencing the entire room. "Good afternoon, class." There was a few mumbled replies of 'good afternoon Miss Goodwitch', but for the most part they remained quiet. "We'll be continuing where we last left off, with Ruby Rose and Dove Bronzewing."

Arthur watched as a young man with dirty blond hair stepped forward, his walk filled with arrogant swagger. Though the seasoned soldier could tell the boy was nervous and was trying to act tough and confident for his reputation.

It was the other person who stood up that caught his attention though - while shorter and much younger, it was clearly Ruby Rose. While her red cape wasn't being used as a scarf, it was clearly the same material and held the same importance. The gothic outfit was new too, but from what he knew she was around the same age as when his Rose was in her whole goth phase.

The two combatants squared off in the middle of the ring, their hands held by their weapons. Bronzewing's sword was easily distinguishable, whereas Rose's was, from what he could see, a strange red and black block thing.

"Are you both ready?" Glynda asked the two teens.

"Yeah," Bronzewing replied, his squinty eyes glaring daggers at his opponent.

"Yes ma'am!" Rose answered, her silver eyes watching the boy carefully yet confidently.

"Then you may begin." As soon as the words left the professor's mouth, the two jumped into action. A sword slashed where Rose used to be, but all that was left was a flurry of rose petals.

She appeared on the other side of the arena, her blocky weapon out of its holster and directed towards the boy. It shifted, to Arthur's surprise, into a very sniper-esque shape, scope, trigger and all. She squeezed said trigger, firing off three rounds in quick succession at the knightly boy.

He rolled out of the way, managing to avoid the first two shots but getting nicked in the ankle by the third. He grunted in pain but rolled up, his legs pushing as he sprinted in a circle towards his opponent. He managed to slash the other shots coming his way, the ones he missed only grazing his body. The screen above indicated his aura beginning to hit the yellow while Rose's was still full.

Arthur idly wondered if the blond boy had any ranged weaponry - surely he wasn't primarily melee focused in a world with guns? - but he didn't move to use anything with efficient range. The soldier frowned but remained attentive to the fight, eagerly absorbing any information he could about Huntsman capabilities.

The boy finally reached his opponent, forcing the girl to somersault backwards to avoid being cut in two. Oddly enough, she spun her rifle, forcing the length to extend and a curved blade to pop out. His eyes narrowed as he witnessed the weapon's transformation, his tongue clicking. A scythe wasn't the most practical weapon; it could easily chop off a limb or two of the wielder if they made even the smallest mistake. What was she thinking?

But he was soon shown how wickedly efficient the teenage girl was with the scythe as she attacked the armored boy with a frenzy of spins, slashes, and jabs with the pointed tip. It was impressive that Bronzewing managed to last for longer than a few seconds under such pressure, even being able to land a few hits of his own throughout the ordeal.

"No wonder Ozpin allowed her in two years early…" Arthur mumbled, entranced with the epic display. This kind of skill and power in his world would make whoever had it a damn superhero if they wanted! Even the boy, though clearly the inferior combatant, could casually parry sniper bullets with a sword, something he'd never thought he'd see outside of fiction.

Before he knew it, Glynda called for the match to end. He glanced up to the screen, having been briefed on its purpose before, and felt a small sense of surprise at the results. Rose's Aura was still in the green, though it was close to the yellow, while Bronzewing's was into the red. The teacher walked up to the two, her sharp eyes focused on the boy.

"Mr. Bronzewing," The boy flinched. "Your skill with the sword is adequate, but your inability to defend yourself against both ranged attacks and rapid assault will be your downfall against any opponent who truly wishes to harm you. Better your defense and look for any opening you can to counter attack." She looked over at the goth-themed girl, her eyes getting even sharper somehow.

"And you, Miss Rose, must also work on your defense."

"Wha- But he barely hit me!" The girl complained, causing the teacher to sigh and shake her head.

"But he still hit you while you had the clear advantage. You had the advantage in range; your sniper rifle could have easily incapacitated him if you focused more on accuracy than how many bullets you can shoot out. Your scythe is the perfect mid-range weapon for melee; you should have been able to keep him far enough away so he couldn't hit you. Mix this in with your Semblance and you should never be hit by an opponent who lacks ranged weapons." Rose slumped, her previous pride having been washed away.

"You may return to your seats. I expect better next time - from both of you." The two nodded and returned to their respective teams, each member clapping and congratulating their teammate. Arthur watched Rose's team, his mouth set in a firm frown. Schnee, Belladonna and Xiao-Long were all members of her team, all familiar faces in an unfamiliar world - though there was something off about that bow… He shrugged it off. It was probably nothing.

Glynda called the next two teens to the arena, catching Arthur's attention. He didn't notice the brown eyes of Cardin Winchester locking onto his person, nor the finger of Jaune regrettably pointing him out to the boy.

* * *

 **Well well well, it's been about two weeks. Yeah, I can't keep a deadline, so never trust me if I say I'll get a chapter here on time. I'm probably just saying it for face.**

 **Anywho, we got it done, so all is good in the world. I added a little action, 'cause the story kinda needs it. Sure, I enjoy character interaction, but an entire story which is supposed to have fights kinda gets less interesting as time goes on. So yay, a (hopefully) realistic representation of combat class! :D I might have amped up Dove's abilities, but I've heard he's the strongest member of Team CRDL, so I decided to make him capable of actually doing something to a talented student. Plus, they're supposed to be capable warriors and the show only shows them as bullies who get tossed around like nothing.**

 **Sadly, I graduate high school next week, meaning I won't have access to computers as much as I usually do. However, I might just steal my grandma's laptop for my own uses, so I might get to write more than before. We'll see.**

 **Remember to favorite, follow, and review! Especially review. It gives me the motivation to continue this story. Without it, I probably wouldn't even have a decent story! So keep it up, I really enjoy them, even if they're nothing but flames. As cliche as the saying is, it's true; Haters are my motivators. But so are my lovers, so keep that comin' too. 3**

 **I bid you all adieu until next time!**


	5. Chapter 5 - Bullies and Alcohol

**Beta: Recycler**

* * *

 _3 Years Ago_

"Get do-!" I was cut off by an explosion. Being launched off my feet, I slammed into a nearby container. I saw Xiao-Long and Schnee, or at least multiples of them, having the same thing happen to them. Slowly, I sat up, cradling my head.

I couldn't see properly, indicating a concussion. That wasn't the worst thing, as I pulled back my hand and found it covered in blood. I groaned and shut my eyes, feeling a sense of nausea overcome me. I fell into a coughing fit, ending with me throwing up.

I felt arms wrap around me before I was dragged behind cover, and though I didn't see her I knew it was Yang. Weiss was strong, but I doubted she could stand up after an explosion like that before me. "Th-Thanks," I coughed out.

"No problem," She replied. Her voice sounded far away, as though it were at the end of a tunnel. "We gotta get our weapons and contact the others. They might be in danger."

I nodded and slowly stood up with my hand resting on the blonde's shoulder. "Where's Schnee?" I couldn't even hear my own voice, so I asked again with a shout. She might have heard me the first time, but I didn't care. This is why we wear ear protection, I idly thought.

"She's over there!" She pointed to the side and I followed. Schnee nodded towards the weapons, which were close to where I just was when the rocket hit. I groaned, shaking my head slowly. I was still dizzy, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the first moments after the explosion.

"Where you goin' Sarge? You'll get shot out there!" I heard Xiao-Long call after me as I stumbled away from our cover. I ignored it however, instead focusing all my limited attention on my side objective: Getting my damn rifle so I can kill the bastard who hurt me and my team. I heard a buzz near my left ear and immediately threw myself to the right, curling up behind a box that was probably smaller than Rose is wide.

"That was way too fucking close…" I breathed, my teeth pressed together hard enough to chip them. "How am I going to get my rifle with all this damn noise?" I mumbled, my eyes scanning the area. "C'mon brain, work…" I looked at the box I was hiding behind before sighing deeply. "I'm stupid, aren't I?"

I was able to get the top off after nearly getting my hand blown off - again - and I reached inside, quickly pulling out a bag of sand. I sighed in relief, silently thanking God at the gift. "No wonder the bullets weren't going through this, it's full of sandbags…" I positioned myself on my knees behind the container, pressing my palms against the cold steel of the crate, before pushing it forward with all my strength.

"Just a few meters…" I grunted, my muscles burning from the force I was exerting. This thing weighed at least three hundred pounds, had no wheels, and was going over bumpy terrain. It was not an easy task; the only thing that made it slightly easier was the fact it was on sand, but that didn't help too much seeing as it wasn't a downward slope.

Bullets ricocheted off the crate as I pushed it, forcing my eyes to close tightly. Sandbags were good for stopping bullets at first, but eventually they became no better than the clothes on your back. With the fear of being shot in mind, my body pushed itself beyond its limits, allowing me to put forth the last of my reserves into pushing the crate the last two meters.

I finally reached it, allowing me some breathing time. But even that ended too fast as I was forced to grab three weapons and crawl back to safety. Bullets hit too close for my liking, one even ending up in front of my face, before I got smart and tossed Xiao-Long her weapon. While it wasn't great at long-range, it would do for suppressive fire, which she started as soon as she checked it's magazine.

I was close enough now that I could get up and run, which I wasted no time in doing. Vaulting over the barrier next to Schnee, I tossed her weapon over towards her before looking over mine. It looked fine, meaning it was probably okay. I switched the mode to semi-automatic, cocked it, then returned the charging handle to the forward position. Taking a deep breath, I aimed towards the source of the shots, and squeezed the trigger.

* * *

"Here we go, I guess…" Jaune mumbled as Cardin dragged him down the hall towards his counterpart. It was five minutes after Combat Class ended and the halls were mostly empty, as classes were over for the day. He cringed slightly when the older man looked over at them, diverting his eyes as Arthur's blue ones bored into his very being.

"You!" Cardin, the idiot jerk, shouted at him. "You're Arc's brother, right?"

Arthur stared for a second at Jaune before nodding, his body turning towards them. "Yeah, sure am. Name's Arthur. You my little brother's buddy or something?" Cardin's grin spelled anything but buddy, but his 'older brother' either didn't notice or didn't care.

"You could say that. Jauney-boy and I get along pretty well, I think."

"What did you want?" Arthur cut him off before he could continue, his scarred eyebrow raising in irritation and confusion. "Don't tell me you came here just to play nice, I see how you're holding onto Jaune. You aren't his friend, so what do you want," He repeated, his patience clearly wearing thin. Jaune cringed once more, his eyes facing the floor.

"Tch," Cardin spat, a scowl forming on his face. "This school already has too many Arcs, even if Jaune is the only one. So get out of here before I kick your ass."

The older Arc simply sighed, his metal hand running through his hair, "Fucking hell. I'm not sure why you decided to act so stupid, but I don't care. Just turn around or I will put you in the infirmary." His face took on a slightly hesitant look, making Jaune to gulp. Did he doubt his ability to fight off Cardin? Oh, crap.

The taller boy glared harshly at Arthur, his teeth grinding together. "Well, you got bigger balls than Jauney-boy, that's for sure. I'll make sure to smash them for you," He threatened, but Arthur just shrugged.

"Didn't know you wanted to touch my balls so bad. Why didn't you start off with that-" The taller blond ducked out of the way of a punishing punch, the fist making a hole in the wall where Arthur's head used to be. Jaune was pushed back by the heavily armored boy, his feet tangling up and making him fall.

He watched as Arthur jabbed the boy's neck, but his punch seemed to only tick off the mace-wielder more. The soldier followed up with a kick to Cardin's shin, making him trip, before he went for an uppercut with his metal arm. That hit seemed to make the brunette dazed, but he quickly shook it off.

The brunette grabbed Arthur's shirt before launching him into the wall, the man grunting in pain on impact. "Does he not have Aura…? Oh, super crap…" Jaune grumbled, his eyes widening. "Cardin, you have to stop! He doesn't have Aura!"

"I don't care, this guy is gonna get what he had coming!" He snarled before kicking Arthur in the chest, but the man grabbed onto his foot and dragged him down. He rolled over with his arms crossed over his neck, his hands grabbing at the collar of his school blazer. He slowly pressed down, making the boy gasp for breath.

"Yeah? You're doing a great jo-" He coughed, the previous kick still affecting him. It gave Cardin the time to roll out from under the man, his hand rubbing his throat with a wince. Aura he may have, but the force is still there. No one is immune to choke holds.

Cardin stood up to his full height, which was actually pretty close to Arthur's, before he ran at him with a yell of frustration. Arthur looked over at Jaune, his right eye swelling up. Despite the obvious pain he was in, he showed no sign of it. His eyes, however, showed the disappointment he had in the boy. The betrayal, the hate, the disgust… It was all there. It was like looking in a mirror that showed what he really thought of himself.

Jaune closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stepped forward, putting himself directly in front of Arthur. He was a disappointment, yes. That was unquestionable. But he refused to stay one; he would fight to his last breath if it meant disproving everyone who thought that about him - even himself! He refused to be what Arthur thought of him. He wouldn't be a wimp… He would be strong.

He might not fight for himself, but he was a Huntsman! A hero! So he would fight for others, and not stand by and be a wimp! "Stop right there Cardin! I won't let you-" The brunette slammed into the blond, causing him to grunt from the impact. They were launched into and through the wall, surprising Jaune and Arthur.

Cardin was strong before, but now he was almost as strong as Yang! Was that his Semblance?

With no time to ponder about it, Jaune yelled as he repeatedly punched Cardin's head, putting as much force as he could into the hits. "I'm sick and tired of your bullying Cardin!" He shouted.

His rival growled, his brown eyes narrowed in irritation at the boy. "What the hell Arc?! That was a stupid move, dork!" He grabbed his long blond locks, causing Jaune to wince, before his head was slammed into floor. Cardin fell on him when his legs kicked out and hit his knee as they rolled around, their fists flying at one another.

Despite his superior Aura reserves, his fighting abilities were still far below Cardin's. Winchester wasn't considered one of the better students if he was barely above a rookie, after all. But still… Jaune couldn't afford to lose. He refused to let this bully harm a civilian - even if that civilian was a total jerk. If he couldn't beat him in a straight up fight, then he'd just have to play dirty, wouldn't he?

* * *

"OW! What the-! You bit me?!" Arthur heard the brown haired boy scream, causing him to crack a grin with a chuckle. He was leaned against a wall, his arms wrapped around his chest defensively. That kick the little douche landed earlier broke at least three ribs, much to the veteran's chagrin.

"You kick his ass, little Jauney," Arthur murmured. "Break a couple of his bones for me." He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, a pained sigh escaping his lips. He perked up, however, when a gasp broke his peace. He winced as he sat up, a soft groan coming forth. Footsteps raced up towards him and someone kneeled down next to him, a pair of small hands coming to rest on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" A high pitched voice asked. It sounded very familiar to his ears. Anything familiar was bad, though. It meant someone he knew yet didn't know at the same time. Looking over, his uninjured eye stared at the young face of Ruby Rose.

"Heh… Screw you, world…" He shook his head at the girl's confused look. "Don't worry about me, kid. Jaune is over there fighting some loser." He jerked his thumb towards the hole in the wall. "Not sure why, but I don't care."

Rose - No, Ruby - nibbled on her bottom lip, her silver eyes flicking from the wall to Arthur. "Will you be okay if I go?"

"Yeah, yeah. Go save that useless kid's hide," He waved her off, his eye closing as she dashed off through the hole. "She looked just like her… Well, just with some weird teenage stuff going on, but whatever. Why does everything hate me of all people?" He grumbled. He sucked in a breath, a pained grimace gracing his features. Not even five minutes later, another voice broke the silence. This one was deeper and had an odd accent to it.

"Aha!" A large fat man wearing a burgundy double-breasted suit entered his vision, his eyebrows and mustache covering up a large portion of his face. He couldn't even see his mouth, but judging by the twitch of the mustache, it was a safe bet to assume he was smiling. "Worry not lad, I have subdued the children in a timely and efficient manner as only one such as myself is capable of accomplishing!"

"...Yeah, good for you. Where are they?" Arthur replied dryly.

"In the infirmary my boy."

"What the hell did you do-"

"Nevermind them! I must ask, are you our new addition to our staff?" Arthur nodded, one of his eyebrows twitching at the interruption. "Splendid! I will assist you to the nurse's as well dear boy, worry not!"

"Please, do not touch me." His wishes went ignored as the fat man lifted him over his shoulder, further irritating his ribs and making him cringe, before walking down the hall with confident march to his stride.

"Ah yes, I forgot to introduce myself! I am Peter, Peter Port."

* * *

"Yes, of course. I understand. Thank you, and goodbye." A scroll was laid down gently on the glass table. Ozpin sat down in his chair with a sigh, his eyes closed behind his glasses. He spun around in his chair and opened his eyes, his gaze enveloping the entire school campus.

That damnable council had questions about Jaune 'Arthur' Arc, none of which he had answers to. He had some story of multidimensional travel, which he highly doubted, and some fantastical tale of a world war forging a boy into a man. It was as preposterous as the Maidens, only this one lacked any evidence.

Still, he left out major details of the soldier. He didn't mention Glynda's inability to unlock the man's Aura nor his strange weaponry. All the council knew was that he was a stranger to their city and that he had military background.

If Ozpin had his way, that would be all they'd know for some time. Of course James would demand answers, and he'd surely get them if he gave the headmaster what he needed. But his main concern was James' loyalty to the council - yes, the main was loyal to him over anyone else, but his views on public safety were stronger than any other ideal in his body. It was respectable, but he refused to see the larger picture due to it.

He digressed. That obstacle would be dealt with when the time comes. For now, he had to write reports on the students' progress. As he picked up a pen and pulled the papers in front of him, the doors to his office opened with a ding. A middle aged man waltzed right in, his feet stumbling in random paths as he attempted to navigate towards the center desk.

"Ozzy! Jus' the man I wan'ed ta see!" Qrow Branwen exclaimed, causing the Headmaster to sigh once more.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon, Qrow. I am pleasantly surprised, I must say," He wasn't - not entirely. Yes he was glad to see his former-student-turned-friend-and-ally, but he had enough on his plate as it was. Dealing with Qrow always lead to problems, likely thanks to the man's blasted Semblance.

"Pssh, I knows it," The graying man grinned and sat down in a chair in front of his desk. He sat down his flask after taking a large gulp of the liquid, a satisfied sigh escaping his mouth. "Tha's some good stuff, wan' some?" He held it out towards the Headmaster, who only shook his head negative. "Suit yerself." He proceeded to take another large gulp, but Ozpin's cough ended it early.

"What is it you found out, Qrow?" Ozpin was usually a man to savor small talk. Business was a nasty and obnoxious thing, he much prefered the simplicity of camaraderie over it. But he was far too busy to indulge himself in such manners.

"Huh, someone ain't havin' a good day," Qrow muttered in slight disappointment. But he put away the flask, his red eyes staring into Ozpin's brown. " Our Queen's got pawns. Not sure how many, but I guarantee ya they're good. But that ain't it," Qrow spoke up as Ozpin opened his mouth.

"Queen's onto something pretty big. Not sure what, so don't ask, but all I know is it spells trouble."

"I see… Let's start with the more immediate issue. I expected she'd have some underlings, but this confirms it. Do you have any idea who they might be?"

The scythe-sword master scoffed, a scowl coming to his face. "Nah, ain't no way I could know that yet. All I know is she has at least three. Those three who attacked Amber, but even I couldn't find anything on them."

"Hmm, I see. What about this search of hers? Any idea where Queen is searching? We could dispatch a team of Huntsmen there immediately if you do." Once again Qrow denied it, shaking his head.

"All I know is it's somewhere in the continent up North."

"Atlas, then?" He inquired.

"Nope," Qrow popped the 'p', but Ozpin ignored it. "The Dragon. Untamed territory, very dangerous even for people like us. Whatever she wants couldn't have landed any closer to her lap."

The spy chewed on his cheek, his eyes flickering out the window. "It came here around a few days ago from what I know. Some energy fluctuation made some mass migration of Grimm towards that area, as well as smaller herds flocking towards the cities."

"A few days ago…" Ozpin's eyes narrowed. It couldn't be, could it? "Qrow, a few days ago a man showed up claiming to be from a different universe. His name is Jaune Arthur Arc. Just like one of my students. He's much older though, probably in his late twenties, and goes by his middle name. But he is definitely somehow related to the boy."

"You think he has something to do with this?"

Ozpin took a sip from his mug, his eyes staring deeply into Qrow's. "Glynda attempted to unlock his Aura earlier this morning, but it didn't work. Meaning he doesn't have Aura. Tell me Qrow, what are the only beings without Aura?"

Qrow answered with trivial ease, his voice still signifying his confusion. "Grimm. What about it? It's weird, but it might just mean he doesn't have a strong enough Aura to be unlocked conventionally. Could just be too weak to see."

"Possibly. But I've never seen an Aura so weak. The closest to it was Summer's, but even she had visible Aura." Qrow frowned at the mention of his deceased partner but shook his head. Noticing his temporarily distracted state, Ozpin decided to refrain from mentioning her again, otherwise his best operator would be distracted for some time.

"What we know so far is this: Arthur and this mysterious object show up at the same time, as well as a few other strange events, and the Queen starts looking for it immediately. Arthur lacks Aura, similar to Grimm, and is either making up a preposterous story or believes a false past."

"You're thinking he's either a spy or a sleeper agent? Now I'm all for crazy ideas Oz, but even this is a stretch. A human with Grimm properties? That's probably the most bizarre thing you've said yet."

"It's the most logical choices. It's highly unlikely he's telling the truth; the only evidence he has is his uniform and weapon, but those could easily be fabricated." Ozpin nodded.

"Could just be a coincidence," Qrow grumbled, though Ozpin could tell he didn't believe it himself. "But are you sure he's lying? I never met the guy, but I doubt a spy would draw attention to themselves by claiming such bull crap."

"There's no such thing as a coincidence, Qrow. Everything happens for a reason." He spun his chair around, his mug being raised to his lips. "Let's just hope it isn't the reason we think. I want you to investigate him. Befriend him, if possible. Gain his trust. He's a wild card that I don't want left unsupervised. Try to get all the information you can about what our mysterious object could be. We don't know what's going this his, or the Queen's, head.

"As for the object, from now on, mention it to no one, and only refer it by the codename 'Grail'. I will inform Glynda and James. You focus on Arthur, all your other missions are secondary to this. Understood?"

"Yeah, I won't disappoint. 'Sides, this just means I'll get to kick back and hang with my nieces for a bit. What's not to love?" The alcoholic stood up and walked out of Ozpin's office, leaving him alone in silence. The paperwork was long forgotten; all that was on his mind was a single question.

"Just who are you, Jaune Arthur Arc?"

* * *

"Why am I a goddamn magnet for bad luck?" Arthur sighed as he sat on a medical bed, gauze wrap around his chest and head. "It's my second day here and I'm already in the nurse's office."

"Sorry…" Mumbled his counterpart, who laid face down on the bed next to his. Jaune had bandages placed on various injuries, but otherwise looked fine. Well, besides the blunderbuss imprint on his back.

"Yeah, you owe me big time for bringing that douche to me, kid." Arthur shook his head, his only open eye looking over at the beat up form of Cardin Winchester. A wicked grin came to his face as he saw the state he was in. Sure, Peter didn't break any of his bones (he was pretty sure Peter wanted to, but couldn't because of legal reasons), but this was sweet enough revenge.

Speaking of the annoying Devil, Peter sat across the room in a chair as he was scolded by the younger and smaller Glynda. It was pretty funny, but he couldn't laugh. It hurt too bad.

Glynda walked away from the quivering form of Port and towards Arthur, her eyes closed and a weary sigh escaping her. "And you…" She sounded far too tired to really scold him, instead settling for a semi-harsh glare. "You know what you did."

Arthur shrugged. "Guilty as charged, I guess. To be fair I didn't do any of the damage, my body did."

"You still instigated a fight with a student."

"Details, details. He just can't take some mean words. Besides, he came to me in the first place."

"You're going to kill me faster than any Grimm," The professor shook her head and sat down in a chair nearby. "If I were headmaster, I'd have you kicked out of the school."

"If you were headmaster, I'd kick myself out of the school." They glared at each other, blue eyes meeting green. Ultimately they looked away, a scowl on both of their faces.

"You're a child."

"You have a stick up your ass."

"You're too easy to rile up."

"Yeah, I am. You gonna keep insulting me? I know all of this already. I don't like it here, so my personality will reflect that. I don't like any of you, so my emotions are going to react the same way. Guess what? That's life. A prisoner isn't nice to their guard because they like them."

"You could leave anytime you wish. You're not a prisoner," She rebutted, but Arthur rolled his eyes at her ignorance.

"Please. If I were to leave, I'd be arrested by the police before I could step a foot into town. I don't have an ID, a driver's license, a social security, a passport, or any form of identification. I'd bet you have laws against civilians owning weapons without permission, so I'd have an illegal weapon on me. I'd also have literally no idea where to go. Chances are I'll be dead or homeless in a week."

Glynda shook her head, her hand fixing her glasses. "Then you best stop acting like an immature child and be the professional you are, otherwise Ozpin will be forced to kick you out for all of that to happen."

Arthur shrugged once more, this time staying silent as he stared at his younger self. A frown adorned his face as he stared at the still form, his mind wandering to the scene just fifteen minutes prior. This boy, who he had called out as a weak child, stood up against the guy he feared most.

Arthur still didn't like him - he probably never would - but he wouldn't be so quick to judge next time. For now, however, he would keep his distance. It wouldn't do to find something to do with his time, no matter how bad he wanted to do something.

The door opened and the nurse walked in, her brown hair as immaculate as it was this morning. "Good to see no one has killed each other yet," She smiled good heartedly, which Glynda returned. Arthur would never be able to wash that disturbing sight out of his retinas.

"Please, I would have prevented them from fighting if it came to that," The blonde responded.

"I didn't mean only them, Ms. Goodwitch."

"Ouch. You okay, Glynda? That burn looks like it hurt," Peter's eyebrows raised so much you could clearly see his eyes, Jaune stiffened, and the nurse… Well, she remained normal, unaware of the danger. Arthur slowly slid away from the silently fuming huntress, hoping that today wasn't his second last day alive.

"You're all free to go," The nurse said, looking at Jaune and Arthur. "Except for Mr. Winchester. He'll need a day's rest before he's to be released. And please, Mr. Arc," The two Arcs looked at her. "... Arthur," Jaune looked away. "Be careful with your injuries. You lack Aura, so your injuries are more likely to get worse than better if you act like you normally do. And please, don't bring any other students here. I may love my job, but I certainly don't love why I do what I do."

Nodding, Arthur stood up. "Yes ma'am, I'll be on my best behavior so no more jackasses show up in your office," Shooting a grin and a wink towards the nurse, he, along with the others (sans Cardin) walked out of the school clinic.

Glynda and Peter soon left, with the blonde professor promising to talk more about this later, leaving Arthur and Jaune alone. "Well… This has been a day," Jaune mumbled.

"Tell me about it," Arthur agreed. "Anyways, what the fuck dude?" He turned towards his younger self, his eyebrows turned down into a scowl. At Jaune's surprised 'huh?' he rolled his eyes and elaborated. "Don't play dumb. Why the hell did you bring that twat to me? Were you that mad at my brutal honesty, or are you just that much of a pussy to resort to making someone else fight your battles?"

"If you didn't notice, I jumped in when things started getting bad. Besides, I thought you had Aura! You should've been able to take him down easy with it!" The boy retorted, but it only angered the veteran more.

The older man ran a hand through his hair, an irritated sigh escaping his lips. "Fuckin'... Alright, look. I'm worn out. I can't even draw up the energy to be pissed off, just lukewarm kind of aggravated. So, don't be mistaken because I'll be pissed later, but for now I just want a drink. Can you drink? I'm not sure and I don't care. You're going to show me to a bar somewhere, we're going to sit down, and both of us are going to get shitfaced drunk. Sound good?" Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but Arthur cut him off. "Good, let's go."

"But I didn't-" The Huntsman trainee got interrupted as his doppelganger grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall. "Okay I guess… Can I at least grab my wallet?"

"...Yeah, I should probably do the same," The veteran grunted before turning around and heading down the other way.

* * *

 **Hey all, Boltzmann here again. Sorry for the long wait, I became extremely unmotivated to type up the story due to personal issues. Nonetheless, we got it here, and I hope you all enjoyed it.**

 **I'm not too keen on most of this chapter, the only part I actually thought was exceptionally well written was the Ozpin & Qrow scene, but it might just be the filler-ish feel. I'll pump up the quality with the next one, I just had to do something for Arthur while the plot kicks off. **

**What do you think that mysterious object is? Is Ozpin's assumptions reasonable? Why is Qrow literally the best RWBY character? Tell us what you think! Any review is accepted as usual, even the infamous flames.**

 **Anyways, enough rambling on my end. I bid you all adieu.**

 **(P.S. 201 follows? Hell yeah! Thanks a ton guys, I am extremely glad you all find this enjoyable! I hope I can keep it up to your standards!)**


	6. AN: Surprise Update!

_**Heyyyy...**_ **Been a while, I know.**

 **But it's not for lazy reasons - No, I went off to One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Georgia for the United States Army. So, uh, yeah, kind of became a shoot'em up guy from CoD or Battlefield or whatever FPS tickles your fancy.**

 **Just not a Special Forces badass I'm afraid ): Only normal, bootleg Infantry.**

 **Onto the important things:**

 **A) I never wanted to write an Author's Note for a chapter. I hate when authors do that, but because of my second thing, I had no choice...**

 **B) I reread this story. It is** ** _atrocious_** **in its mere existence. Not that I'll delete it, nay, I shall rewrite it. From scratch. Because it sucks. I did it all on the fly without a solid plan, making decisions as I wrote and thus making it a mess of just... Crap.**

 **C) My second story, "The Day The Earth Moved Forward" shall be going under a semi-rewrite (only in one of its recent chapters) for similar reasons.**

 **So yeah, I'm back for a couple months. Then I go off to Thailand in February for a deployment, then to South Korea for March to April, then I'll end it off at The Philippines in May. June I should be back on Schofield, and I'll be taking two weeks of leaving following, so I'll be doing a lot of writing for the next month and a half in order to spam post chapters for all the days I'll miss.**

 **My post schedule will still be screwy, the Army life is crazy after all, but I'll try to at least update once a week. Shouldn't be too hard, if I just write for like an hour every day.**

 **So yeah! I'll leave this up, but I'm working on chapter one right now. I may post it separately or replace it with the original (probably the second, just so I can eventually get rid of every disgraceful chapter to preserve what pride I have). The premise is the same, I'll just be delivering the story (hopefully) much better.**

 **Until then, I bid you all adieu.**


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